Man-head.



' Patented Nov. 28, I899. E. c. DARLEY.

MAN HEAD.

(Application filed Mar. 21, 1899.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

Y noams PETERS ca. momurna, WA5HI Patented Nov. 28, 1899.

E. C. DARLEY.

MAN HEAD (Application filed Mar. 21, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD O. DARLEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MAN-HEAD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 637,855, dated November 28, 1899.

Application filed March 21, 1899.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD O. DARLEY, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Ohioago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Man-Heads, (Case No. 1,) of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to boilers, pressuretanks, domes, steam-drums, or other shelllike structures designed for containing fluids, and particularly to man-heads therefor.

As is well known, manholes are provided in such vessels to permit of the access to the interiors thereof, and in order to secure steam and air tight joints at the manholes it is necessaryto provide heavy manhole'coverswhich are secured in position by crabs or bridges and bolts. Heretofore it has been difficult to loosen the manhole-covers and to convey the same away from the manholes. Blocks and tackle have been employed for the purpose of conveying the manhole-covers away from the manholes, and, as is obvious, the manipulation of the covers after being loosened is tedious and difficult, both in removing the manhole-covers and restoring the same to place. In accordance with my invention I provide a conveyor or support within the shell of the boiler or tank, which is adapted to uphold the manhole-cover when loosened and to convey the same away from the manhole to permit access to the interior, whereby the cover may be manipulated without diiftcnlty.

In the preferredembodiment of myinvention I provide a pulley-support for the manhole-cover, which permits the same readily to be removed from and drawn toward the manhole. Where the man-head is located, for example, in the front of the shell, I preferably employ a track locatedabove the manhole, from which a hanger is suspended, the manhole-cover being attached to the hanger. The hanger or extension is preferably provided with a pulley riding, upon the track, which is preferably curved away from the manhole, so that the cover when loosened may be thrust inwardly and to one side. Where the manhole is located in the shell, I employ pulleyguides engaging or adapted to engage an ex- Serial No. 710,001- (No model.)

tension of the cover, the pulley-guides and extension serving to convey the cover longitudinally of the manhole away from the manhole.

I will explain my invention more particularly by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a portion of a horizontally-disposed shell having the manhole in one end thereof. Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 8 is an end view of the manhole-cover and parts employed in connection therewith. Fig. 4. is a detailed side view of a portion of the pulley-hanger in place upon the track. Fig. 5 is a sectional view showing the application of my invention in connection with a manhole located in a shell. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is an end view, looking in the direction indicated by the arrow 7, of the structure shown in Fig. 5. Fig. Sis an end elevation of the manholecover with its extension employed in the structure shown in Fig. 5.

Like letters indicate like parts throughout the diflerent views.

In Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 I have illustrated the application of my invention to boilers or analogous structures, in which the manholes are located in the ends of the boilers, and I will first describe my invention in connection with the structure shown in said figures. The head a of the boiler may be bumped or dished in the usual way and riveted to the shell I). The boiler-head is provided with a flange a, forming in this instance an elliptical wall aboutthe manhole. That portion of the manhole-cover a working in cooperation with the bridges or crabs d and T-bolts e c may be of any suitable construct-ion. In practicing my invention in connection with a manhole-cover which is placed in a vertical or upright position I provide an extension f of the cover, upon the upper end whereof is provided a pulley f, the said extension and pulley forming a pulley-hanger. Above the manhole,and preferably above the center thereof, I anchor one end of a track g to the head a, the track curving to one side of the manhole and havin g its other end anchored to the shell. The n pper end of the extension f is preferably of the shapeshown in Fig.4. In mountingthehanger upon the track the end f of the extension is bent slightly to one side to permit of the engagement of the track with the pulley, after which the said end is bent into place, as shown in Fig. 4, whereby the pulley is prevented from being derailed. In order to adjust the relative positions of the pulley and manholecover, I thread the lower end of the extension f, which is preferably separate from the cover and passed through a hole provided in an enlargement thereof, and screw upon this extension an adjusting-nutf The cover is grooved in the usual manner, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the flange a being inserted within the groove when the cover is locked in position to seal the boiler. In unsealing the manhole the bridges or crabs are loosened by untightening the nuts upon the bolts e, whereupon the bolts are turned and the same, with the bridges, are removed from the boiler front without danger of having the manhole-cover fall, no tackle being necessary to hold the same in position. When the bridges are removed, the cover may be moved back upon its supporting-track out of the way of the manhole. When the manhole-cover is to be refastened, it is simply drawn toward the manhole, so that its groove engages the flange a, whereupon the bridges and bolts 6 may be readjusted in place. In Fig. 3 one of the bridges or crabs and the nut for securing the same in place are removed to indicate the engagement between the T- headed bolts and the manhole-cover. In order to make the cover hang upright, I provide enlargements h h, which act as counterweights.

' In Figs. 5, 6, 7, and 8 I have illustrated a shell having a manhole located therein and a manhole-cover for sealing the manhole and provided with another type of pulley con- Veyer or hanger specially adapted to the construction shown. The devices for closing the manhole are similar to the devices shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. Since the manhole-cover in the structure illustrated in Fig. 5 is adapted to seal a horizontally-disposed manhole-opening, I project the extension f longitudinally of the path of travel of the manhole-cover and instead of applying pulleys to the said extension I mount one pulley 7; above the extension in a bracket or housing secured to the shell and another pulley i below the extension in another bracket or housing similarly secured. The extension f and pulley t" are preferably so relatively located that when the cover is lowered away from the manhole-opening the cover will be free of the flange, so that the cover may be moved away from the opening. The extension is preferably separately formed and secured to the cover by means of pins 70 passing transversely through the extension, the pins in turn being secured in place by cotter-pins k 70. I provide a stop Z to limit the travel of the cover in its return toward the manhole.

While I have shown and particularly described two embodiments of my invention, I

do not wish to be limited to the precise con struction shown, as modifications may readily be made without departing from the spirit of my invention. It is obvious that in certain constructions the pulleys may be dispensed with and the sliding motion of the manhole-cover upon its support may be relied upon solely.

Having described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent the following:

1. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a vessel, provided with a manhole, of a manhole-cover with its fastening devices, the said 'cover being located within the vessel and serving to cover the manhole from within the vessel, and a conveyer for the manhole-cover permanently secured within the vessel for supporting the cover and conveying it away from and toward the manhole when the cover is loosened, substantially as described.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a vessel provided with a manhole, of a manhole-cover with its fastening devices, the said cover being located within the vessel and serving to cover the manhole from within the vessel, and a conveyer for the manhole-cover located within the vessel for supporting said cover and conveying it away from and toward the manhole when loosened, substantially as described.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a vessel provided with an upright or substantially vertically disposed manhole, of a manhole-cover within the vessel and serving to cover the manhole from within the vessel, and a fixed conveyor extending away from and to one side of the manhole, and serving to convey the cover, when loosened, within the vessel away from and toward the manhole, and to one side of the same, substantially as described.

4. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a vessel, having a manhole,of a manhole-cover within the vessel and serving to seal the manhole from within the substantially as described;

5. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with a vessel having a manhole, of a manhole-cover within the vessel and serving to seal the manhole from within the vessel, and a fixed track within the vessel for conveying the cover, when loosened, away from and toward the manhole,'substantially as described.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 17th day of March, A. D. 1899.

EDWARD O. DARLEY.

Witnesses:

CHARLES E. HUBERT, GEORGE L. CRAGG. 

